Great Falls bank robber set for sentencing

A man who pleaded guilty to robbing a Great Falls bank last October is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday morning.

Dwayne Ottey Jr. pleaded guilty last month to one count of robbery, a felony.

Court records show Ottey, 30, signed a plea agreement that carries a recommended sentence of 18 years in the Montana State Prison with 10 years suspended. The deal is binding, meaning if presiding District Judge Elizabeth Best rejects the sentence Ottey will have the chance to withdraw his plea and the case could continue to trial.

The police report says Ottey entered the First Interstate Bank at 211 5th St. N., brandished a black pistol and demanded money from bank employees. A "fearful" teller complied, the report says, and gave Ottey approximately $1,500 in cash.

The Great Falls Police Department received a tip the same day that a man matching the robbery suspect's description, carrying a black duffel bag, arrived at the Maryland Apartments at 512 2nd Ave. N. in a cab. The apartment building is across the street from the bank.

According to reports, police learned Ottey paid his past-due rent the same day as the robbery and purchased several items, including a safe.

Investigators asked Ottey how he paid his rent and made purchases that day since he had been out of work for about a month. Ottey reportedly told them he received a wire transfer from a friend back in Las Vegas, where Ottey previously lived.

Employees at the bank told law enforcement officers that Ottey previously cashed his paychecks at the downtown location.

Court documents indicate Ottey previously served time in federal prison for possessing a firearm.